Ultimate Guides

How To Ace Your University Interview

Firing off the perfect personal statement is only the first step to securing that all important place at uni — with tough competition on lots of courses, more and more universities are turning to interviews to whittle down candidate numbers. If you’ve been invited to interview at one or more of the places you applied to, don’t panic — this is your opportunity to shine, and Whatuni is here to help that happen. So if you’ve got pre interview nerves, don’t let the jitters get the better of you, just sit back, relax, and read our guide on how to ace your university interview.

Right, let’s recap. You spent hours slaving over your personal statement and sent off a pretty much perfect application to UCAS. So you sat, you waited, and now you’ve got a letter from one of the places you applied to. Well, don’t just sit there, open it. And the result is…You’ve got an interview! Woohoo!

We’re kidding of course. It’s only normal to be a bit nervous before an interview, but the experience doesn’t have to be scary if you’re well prepared.

Plan ahead

The first thing to do when you get your grubby mitts on an invite to interview is make a note of where it is and plan your journey, because believe us, you don’t want to wake up on the morning of your interview and realise you have no idea how you’re getting there or how long it will take. If your interview is in another city and you’re taking public transport, book your train right away — it’s one less thing to worry about, and it’s cheaper if you book in advance too. The same goes for accommodation; book a hotel or arrange to stay with a friend if you’ll be away overnight. You probably don’t need us to tell you this, but don’t book the train that will get you there ‘on time’ — aim for one that will get you there around an hour before your interview, as that gives you a good margin of error for any unforeseen delays. You can always grab a coffee and do some last minute swatting up if you arrive early.

Know your stuff

It sounds obvious, but your interviewer will probably refer a lot to your personal statement, so re-read it a few times until you remember what you wrote, and be prepared to expand on any points you made in it. Also print off and re-read any essays that you made reference to or had to send off as part of your application (this particularly applies to Oxbridge interviews), as you might be asked to back up any conclusions you came to in those, too.

Aside from re-reading what you’ve already written, you’ll also need to review your current knowledge of your subject — have there been any new discoveries or developments in your field? Any important academic papers published recently that are relevant to your course? The number one thing interviewers are looking for is enthusiasm, and being on top of everything that’s going on in your subject will show that you’re really engaged and excited to learn more. It won’t hurt to brush up on your general knowledge too; read a newspaper or two in the run up to your interview if you don’t normally, you never know when you might get to impress your interviewer by referencing a recent event!

Finally, do research the university and the course you’re interviewing to get onto. A silly mistake, like getting the exact name of the course wrong, for example, could cost you your place, so make sure you know the basics! Be ready to answer questions on why you’re applying to that university and that course — what is it about this course that appeals to you? Turn to the prospectus or uni website for inspiration. You could also do a bit of online snooping to find out more about the lecturers and tutors in the relevant department. If you know a little bit about the person who might be interviewing you, even if it’s just what they look like, they’ll seem a lot les scary. Plus, you can see what their research interests are and mention anything you know about that area in your interview for major bonus points.

Practice makes perfect

Don’t underestimate the value of mock interviews. Practicing with a teacher is your best bet, but failing that, a parent or friend will also be able to help. There are lots of resources on the internet with lists of popular questions asked at university interviews; get someone to ask you a selection of them and practice your answers until you know what you want to say on the day. Having an idea of what you might be asked and how you can respond takes a lot of the uncertainty, and hence the fear, out of interviews. How could they not be impressed by you?!

A simple, yet oh so important tip —get a good night’s sleep the evening before your interview. The temptation might be to stay up and cram, but if you’re tired your brain won’t retain the information and you risk struggling to recall what you do know in the interview. There’s really no benefit.

Right, it’s time to make an impression! Think about what to wear — it doesn’t have to be a suit, but you want to look serious, so make an effort. That means a shirt and trousers (or smart jeans) for the guys and a blouse or top with suitable skirt or trousers, or a dress (not too short) for the girls.

Being punctual will also help you make a good impression, so as well as giving yourself plenty of time for your journey, try to arrive at your actual interview a good 10 or 15 minutes early. You’ll seem eager, and it gives you a chance to prepare yourself mentally, so you don’t walk in flustered and off guard.

Once you get into the interview, the key is appearing enthusiastic, both in what you say and what you do. Try to look bright and alert by sitting up straight (be comfortable, but don’t slouch), and make occasional eye contact with your interviewer while they’re talking so they know you’re paying attention. If you’re asked something that you don’t quite understand, ask your interviewer to explain. We promise you won’t look bad — in fact, asking for clarification will show that you are thorough and keen to understand, and that will only reflect well on you as a potential student (plus it stops you sounding silly if you try to answer a question without really being sure what was asked).

Towards the end of your interview, it’s likely that you will be asked if you have any questions for them, and just like at a job interview, it’s good to have a couple prepared. One good question to ask is what graduates of the course usually go on to do afterwards, either in terms of future careers or further study. This will show you are serious about your future and want to — and therefore probably will — do well on the course. You could also try asking roughly how many contact hours you can expect to have per week, or about the facilities in your school or department. If you’re really stuck for something to say, you can always ask when you’re likely to hear whether or not you’ve been successful — chances are you’ll want to know this anyway.

After the interview...

Try to make some notes directly after your interview — things that you think went particularly well, things that maybe didn’t go so well, anything that you weren’t expecting, etc. This will allow you to prepare for any future interviews you might have coming up by helping you to identify your strong points, as well as any areas where you might want to improve for next time. Making a note of any odd or unusual questions you were asked will also help prevent you from being caught off guard if you’re asked something similar in the future.